All Forum Posts by: Lauren Munar

Hello RE Pros,

I recently made the industry switch from tech to real estate so I could learn more about the biz from the inside. I am assisting two top agents in ATL and we're working on a campaign to update our email lists with email address updates. 

What is the best way to collect updated emails from past clients, while incentivizing them by adding value?

I've done a little research online and the following ideas seem to be the most viable. 

• Create a survey gathering insights or votes for real estate-related subjects
• Free e-book (i.e. Top 5 Housing Trends in ATL that Every Seller Needs to Know)

Any additional ideas insights appreciated!

Thank you. This is exactly the kind of conversation we need to be having at this juncture in our lives. 

We are new to this and need to start inching out of our comfort zone. The reality is that we've got to take some risks in order to reap the returns, right? We need to get more in the habit of asking, "What else could we be investing in?" 

So thank you for the reminder and tossing in some real numbers, as well as your experience on both coasts. This really helps. 

Thanks for your perspective on this. Helps with having confidence renting at a higher price. I guess it can't hurt seeing what the market can bear, right?

And to your other point, I agree: Westside Rentals is the worst. I honestly don't know how they've gotten away with dominating the way they have for all these years. Someone needs to disrupt that space!

I hear you, but we are concerned that if/when we return to LA, we won't be able to afford buying back in because the prices will just continue to get crazier. Especially once development is in full swing in our area, which is really only a couple of years off. Inventory is already so incredibly low, even in as depressed an area as South LA. I wouldn't be surprised if our property appreciates to $500K+ over the next couple of years which is ridiculous for a house <1000 sq feet.

Actually, I just looked up my property on Redfin and they are estimating $410K+, which is $50K above what my realtor estimated a few weeks ago. https://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Angeles/4509-2nd-Ave-90043/home/6870684

@Tim S. thanks for the warm welcome and best of luck to you in Cali. I'm LA born and raised, but my parents are from NorCal, so feel free to ask any questions about your next destination.

Hello. My husband and I have owned our 1910 spanish revival home near Leimert Park for nearly 4 years. We are moving to Atlanta for my husband's job but want to keep our"LA card" for if/when we decide to move back to Los Angeles. 

We are trying to figure out a rent that will allow us to cashflow and is appropriate for the area but will keep our investment safe with a high-quality tenant. 

The house is in re-marketed South LA (formerly the notorious South Central LA) and is in the process of gentrification. There is a new Metro stop going in 8 blocks from our house that will eventually take you to Downtown LA or Santa Monica. All of the most-expensive developments in LA are currently going on in the adjacent area. That said, I don't foresee the major changes happening until the Metro stop opens a few years from now. We often leave the area to shop and dine in nearby Culver City, Koreatown, USC and DTLA. The majority of residents in the area are lower to lower-middle class income and there is still a fair amount of crime (gang activity, drugs, robberies, etc).

Stats on the house:

• 2 bed + 1 bath
• Built in 1910
• Newly remodeled
• 948 sq ft
• purchase price in 2012: $248K
• today's estimated sale price: $355-360K
• washer, dryer
• fridge, dishwasher, oven, range, microwave
• Air conditioning unit
• off street parking
• garage
• storage shed
• backyard deck
• spacious, well-maintained yard with 100 year old ficus tree

According to the 1% rule, we should be renting the house for $2480, which is high in comparison to comparable rents I am seeing in the area. Are there other formulas out there that folks have seen success with? Advice appreciated.

Hello! I'm an LA native relocating to ATL sometime next year because of my husband's work (sculptor for the film industry). I have 10+ years of early-stage startup experience and am currently working as a freelance digital product manager. We currently own a house in Los Angeles that we are looking to rent and have just begun the hunt for our first home in Atlanta. We are hoping to make this first ATL investment a multi-family with cashflow as the goal. 

We are looking toward eventual financial independence and focusing on flipping houses for income. We are both creatives with a love for architecture and interior design. My husband has a background in construction and worked in product development for home and fashion for 5 years. Rehabbing historic homes would be a labor of love for us. Or working on sensible but stylish and affordable starter homes for first-time buyers like we were 4 years ago would be gratifying.

Looking forward to connecting with the BiggerPockets community!

Thanks, @Rick Baggenstoss. Just before reading your post, I was on Curbed reading about the historic homes in Mozley Park. My home in LA was a flipped 1920's house, which is what I prefer (character) to new construction (vanilla). 

Can anyone shed some light on what's going on in West ATL (Westside, Mozley Park, Adair Park, West End, etc)? 

@Michaela G. - Will take a look at Pittsburg. Thanks.

@Michael Liss - EAV is probably too far for my husband to drive to Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville. Unfortunately, he works 12-14 hour days.

Greetings from Fayetteville, GA! My husband and I are originally from Los Angeles and he (being a sculptor for the film industry) has been spending an increasing amount of time in and around ATL over the past few years. With little indication that big budget film is returning to LA and the apparent boom happening in ATL, we are at present trying to decide where to invest next. 

He has mostly been working at Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville where we are currently renting an apartment, but occasionally has work in Metro ATL. I am a freelance product manager and work remotely, but being a little closer to the tech hubs might be a good idea for my career if I decide to go back to the grind.

Question: Are there any south ATL suburbs in between the metro area and Fayetteville that are up-and-coming? From what I can tell, it seems to be the north and east sides of ATL that are the most desireable.

More context: We own a house in Los Angeles and intend to rent it as an income property (our first), but are also somewhat holding onto hope that we will one day move back and/or upgrade in LA as the majority of our friends and family are there. In other words, we don't know that we are ready to invest in something long-term in Georgia. Perhaps something short to mid-term with the possibility of conversion to a rental property if we return to LA someday.

We are new to the income property game. What would you do if you were in this position? 

We're just trying to sort it all out. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

Miraculously, I did get my refund from Success Path within one week and without having to follow up. I told them I had a schedule conflict so I was unable to attend, so I didn't get any pushback from the rep, but probably the key is that I requested my refund within the 3 day grace period after signup.

Now I'm listening to everything I can that is real estate related on Audible.com. Several of the BiggerPockets books are available on there, as well as a number of the top 10 real estate books they recommend. You can sign up for <$15 and you get 5 free credits/month. You can easily get most of the top books for $15 in that first month.

I now have a morning routine of listening to an hour podcast from BP or audio book over my morning tea. And given that I live in LA, I spend a fair amount of time in traffic so I'm at least getting an education--and probably faster than I would reading it myself. 

If you need help getting into the right mindset and out of fear, "The Four Hour Workweek," is a big boost (also available on Audible).

Good luck everyone! Looking forward to reading of everyone's successes.